The invention relates to pre-engineered metal building systems and more specifically to an improved metal construction panel for use in forming the exterior wall of buildings.
Currently in North America and Canada, the traditional method for building residential and some commercial buildings is wood framing, on top of a concrete foundation, after which the framing is either clad with brick or siding. With the disappearance of many of the best forests in North America, the lack of good lumber has driven up wood prices and therefore constructing homes using conventional wood framing technics is slowly becoming prohibitably too expensive.
A number of metal building systems are on the market including replacement of existing 2xc3x974 and 2xc3x976 wood studding and members with metal counter parts which are installed in a similar manner as the wood they are replacing. The disadvantage of this system is that the traditional framing and cladding process must occur, thereby there is little savings in regard to labour costs.
A number of other inventions have tried to address this problem by providing for a metal panel which provides both structural strength as well as exterior cladding for a building. Such building panels and methods of construction are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,883,141 by Walters issued Oct. 18, 1932 titled Building Construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,023,814 titled: Metal Building Construction, issued on Dec. 10, 1935 to Samuel Lindsay and finally U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,388 titled Building Panel, filed by Charles T. Flachfbarth and Robert L. Parsons issued on Mar. 9, 1971. These patents describe building construction methods using a metal panel which serves both as a structural panel as well as an exterior architectural finished surface. By using these panels in one step, both framing and cladding of the house is completed. The advantage of the systems that they describe are the potentially reduced labour costs by eliminating one step in the building construction phase and in addition to that the improved strength of the house as well as the fire resistance and other safety features not found in wood constructed homes.
The disadvantage with these building systems is that they fail to address the problems of sealing off the joints in between the panels, thereby preventing water from seeping into the house due to capillary action. Secondly, the lack of flexibility in regard to choosing the exterior look. The user of such panels cannot choose alternate exterior cladding looks other than the one provided by the panels themselves.
The present invention an elongated metal construction panel for use in forming a portion of the vertical walls of a building structure by being fastened to an identical adjacent panel, the metal construction panel comprises:
(a) a front portion co-extensive with the length of the panel;
(b) end plates co-extensive with the length of the panel disposed substantially normal to said front portion and extending from distal ends of said front portion, said end plates defining the depth of said panel;
(c) flanges co-extensive with the length of the panel and extending inwardly from distal ends of said end plate, wherein said flanges are spaced from and parallel to said front portion; and
(d) wherein said end plates include end troughs co-extensive with the length of the panel such that when metal construction panels are placed adjacent each other by bringing into contact said end plates, said end troughs form a bonding channel adapted and sized for pouring bonding agents therein thereby securely fastening adjacent panels together and also waterproofing the joint between said end plates.
Preferably wherein said end troughs including a fluted section having a U shaped profile being co-extensive with the length of the panel.
Preferably wherein the width of said front portion is at least 3 times the depth of said end plate.
Preferably the width of said front portion is preferably 4 times the depth of said end plate.
Preferably wherein the depth of said end plate being at least 3xc2xd inches.
Preferably wherein the front portion includes female dovetail grooves co-extensive with the length of the panel and adapted to co-operate with an attachment clip for fastening articles to said attachment clip.
Preferably wherein said dovetail grooves define fluted surfaces disposed at an angle theta less than 90xc2x0.
Preferably wherein said angle theta is preferably 87xc2x0.
Preferably wherein said attachment clip defines male dovetail tabs cooperating with said female dovetail grooves to hold said clip within said dovetail grooves, whereby said tabs are joined together in spaced apart relationship by a joining member.
Preferably wherein said tabs are resiliently biased such that said tabs are compressed for placing said tabs within said female dovetail grooves and upon release said resiliently biased tabs hold said attachment clip within said female dovetail grooves.
Preferably wherein said attachment clip further comprises wings extending from said tabs and oriented substantially parallel and adjacent to said front portion for securely fastening said clip to said panel.
Preferably wherein said attachment clip further comprises an attachment lip rigidly connected to said joining member for fastening articles thereto.
Preferably wherein said attachment lip is adapted for fastening vinyl siding thereto.